Back-To-School Gifts: Books For Kids, Teens and Young Adults

 *DISCLOSURE* Thank you to the publishers for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own. 

Can you believe that back-to-school season has started and Fall is on it's way?! To celebrate, we have put together a list of great books for all ages to help ease the transition. The 14 books below are great for kids, teens, and young adults/professionals looking to make their mark on the world.

STARTING YOUR CAREER:

Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning into a Career You’ll Love by Kimberly B. Cummings (Wiley, $19.95)

Kimberly B. Cummings, author of Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning into a Career You'll Love, leaves no stone unturned with this thorough, expert guide for professionals seeking to understand how to navigate the world of work, from beginning to end, starting with uncovering personal and professional values in an effort to align their expertise and skills to roles and companies that will finally change the trajectory of their career and set them up to be leaders in the workforce. As a former career development adviser in some of the nation's top universities and a diversity + inclusion professional in a Fortune 100 company, Cummings has recognized that people work for the sake of working without understanding how to leverage their unique gifts and position themselves for success. As a result, Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning into a Career You'll Love shares transformational lessons to ensure success and puts the ball back in your court. In Cummings' highly acclaimed book, a specific, effective framework is unveiled to ensure each reader channels and utilizes their highest potential as they regain control and steer professional opportunities in their favor, gaining key information as to:

Taking stock of their experiences to ensure strategic career moves

Discovering how  to cultivate and maintain fruitful relationships that support career growth

Uncovering how to build a two-year career strategy to move you into future leadership positions 

Gaining a deeper look into personal and professional branding to ensure alignment with leadership capabilities and career goals 

Learning how to use their voice in the workplace to advocate for themselves

Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life by Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin and Dr. Richard Orbé-Austin (Ulysses Press, $15.95)

Stop letting impostor syndrome hold you back! This guided workbook of interactive exercises and research-backed activities will help you conquer self-doubt, realize your true worth, and enjoy your success.How many times have you thought that everyone is crushing it except you? How often have you looked at one of your accomplishments and attributed it to luck or the help of others? It can be difficult to acknowledge our own successes and skills, and overcome the feeling of being an impostor. But moving past that feeling is crucial to continuing down the path to even greater success and happiness.Own Your Greatness will give you all the tools you need to recognize and overcome the impostor syndrome that is holding you back. Packed full of research- and therapy-backed exercises, prompts, and activities, this interactive workbook will help you: - Identify the root causes of your impostor syndrome- Recognize your natural skills and strengths- Gain the confidence to lead- Speak up for yourself- Feel comfortable receiving and giving praise

The Self-Love Workbook: A Life-Changing Guide to Boost Self-Esteem, Recognize Your Worth and Find Genuine Happiness by Dr. Shainna Ali (Ulysses Press, $15.95)

You need love from yourself as much as from others. When you have low self-esteem, low confidence or even self-hatred, it’s impossible to live life to the fullest. It’s time to build your self-love and transform your attitude, emotions and overall outlook on life! This helpful workbook allows you to become aware of your own unique needs and goals while discovering how to better accept and love your true self. It includes a variety of constructive and actionable tips, tricks and exercises, including:

• Interactive Activities

explore a variety of fun and creative ways to love yourself

• Reflection Prompts

unpack your experiences and connect them to new lessons

• Helpful Advice

deepen your understanding of self-love and utilize it in the real world

Self-love allows you not only to see your true self, but to truly accept who you are wholeheartedly. With this acceptance comes the freedom and confidence to live your life to its fullest. It’s time to conquer self-doubt and self-sabotage. It’s time to love yourself!

 

The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook: 10th Anniversary Edition: 150 Delicious Recipes Using Favorite Ingredients from the Greatest Grocery Store in the World (Unofficial Trader Joe's Cookbooks) by Cherie Mercer Twohy (Ulysses Press, $19.95)

Discover the countless meals you can make with your favorite Trader Joe's® products, including low-carb, keto-friendly recipes, sweet treats, vegetarian and vegan ideas, party-ready appetizers and snacks, and much more! 

Both budget-friendly and delicious, we all love Trader Joe's®! So why not explore your love for this beloved grocery store with the creative and mouthwatering recipes in The I Love Trader Joe's® Cookbook? From hors d’oeuvres and appetizers for the perfect party to restaurant-worthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, you’ll be surprised at the amazing meals you can make after a quick trip to Trader Joe's®, including:

- Apple sausage and cheddar bites

- Brie and pear galette

- Chile and crab chowder

- Lamb loin with pomegranate reduction

- Margarita pork chops

The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook: Delicious Recipes Made with Fan Favorites from the Award-Winning Grocery Store by Jeanette Hurt (Ulysses Press, $19.95)

Discover the countless budget-friendly and delicious meals you can make with your favorite ALDI products!

Fans of ALDI, it’s time to celebrate your love of the best-ever grocery store with a cookbook dedicated entirely to your favorite products. You’ll find creative and mouth watering ideas that take simple, budget-friendly ALDI-brand ingredients and turn them into fantastic dishes. From healthy appetizers to restaurant-worthy comfort food classics and everything in between, you’ll be surprised at the amazing breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you can make after a shopping trip to your local ALDI, including:

• Baked French Toast with Berries 

• Breaded Chicken Parmigiana 

• Shrimp Scampi

• Everything Bagel Dip

• Easy-Peasy Frozen Yogurt

• And much more! 

With 75 recipes and full-color photographs, you’ll be cooking like a pro with your favorite grocery store staples.

XOXO, A Cocktail Book: An Unofficial Gossip Girl Fan Book by Bridget Thoreson (Ulysses Press, $19.95)

Shake up a classy cocktail and have a party worthy of the New York City elite with over 100 tempting recipes and enticing photos—a perfect gift for Gossip Girl fans and TV lovers.

Spotted: cocktails fit for Manhattan’s elite.

Whether you’re an Upper East Sider, a prep school heiress, a Brooklyn wannabe, or the ultimate fan of an anonymous gossip blogger, we know what you want—a luxe cocktail and some good drama to enjoy it with.

As Forbes magazine proclaims, "You can now pour up a cocktail inspired by your favorite GG episode, scene or character. . ." XOXO, A Cocktail Book is your one and only source for the most lavish libations, including:

- Kiss on the Lips (aka French Kiss)

- The Powerful Woman (aka Rosemary Gin Fizz)

- Lonely Boy Beergarita (aka Beergarita)

- New York Spectator (aka Old-Fashioned)

- Summer in the Hamptons Sangria (aka Traditional White Sangria)

With 100 deliciously tempting cocktails and exquisite photos, XOXO, A Cocktail Book has the perfect beverage for any event, from exclusive sleepover soirees to decadent masquerade parties at the Empire Hotel.

The Hard Seltzer Cocktail Book: 55 Unofficial Recipes for White Claw® Slushies, Truly® Mixers, and More Spiked-Seltzer Drinks by Casie Vogel (Ulysses Press, $19.95)

Live your best seltzer life with the original cocktail book designed to make your favorite bubbly boozy beverage all that much boozier, from sparkling Cosmos and daiquiris to a twist on the ever-popular Aperol spritz.

Make every season hard seltzer season! The wildly popular sparkling beverage is a tasty, low-cal treat on its own...but sometimes you have to take it up a notch (or several). 

The Hard Seltzer Cocktail Book offers everything you need to add a little snap, sparkle, and pop to your favorite cocktails. Whether you’re team White Claw, a Truly follower, or a Bud Light Seltzer fan, there’s something for everyone with these easy-to-make recipes, including:

Sparkling Frose

Poppin’ Lemon Drops

Watermelon Sugar Slushies

One-Minute Margs

Summer in Moscow Mules

Fizzy Fuzzy Navels

These 55 recipes are designed to get the party started, whether it’s a Friday night pregame or it's just been a tough day (girl, you do you). Instead of that next round of always-regrettable tequila shots, pick up this book and let’s get bubbly.

 

GOING TO COLLEGE:

Goodnight Dorm Room: All the Advice I Wish I Got Before Going to College by Keith Riegert and Sam Kaplan (Ulysses Press; $14.95)

With over 30,000 copies in print, this heartwarming gift book for high school graduates is the perfect way to celebrate their achievement and launch them into their college experience with helpful, insightful advice for making the best of their new academic experience.

You're off to college—it's gonna be life-changing! Follow this book's advice to make it amazing!

• What to pack, what to leave behind

• Which classes to pick

• How TAs can save your brain

• Why flip flops are a must

• How often to change your sheets

• Where to make new friends

• How to balance class and fun

• And more!!!

The College Bucket List: 101 Fun, Unforgettable and Maybe Even Life-Changing Things to Do Before Graduation Day by Kourtney Jason & Darcy Pedersen (Ulysses Press; $14.95)

Maximize your college experience with this helpful guide to living the best college life possible, from finding amazing courses and creating life-long memories to challenging yourself to bold new experiences.

Are you ready to experience the best four years of your life? Take a shot at half of the exciting ideas in The College Bucket List and your first years of freedom will be absolutely legendary.

•Go on an epic road trip

• Throw an ugly sweater party

• Organize a student protest

• Buy your professor a drink

• Find the best late-night taco truck

• Audit a cool class just for fun

• Kiss someone you just met

• Do a summer internship

Buddha U: 108 Mindfulness Lessons for Surviving Test Stress, Freshman 15, Friend Drama, Insane Roommates, Awkward Dates, Late Nights, Morning Lectures...and Other College Challenges by Victor M. Parachin (Ulysses Press, $14.95)

A GO-TO GUIDE FOR CONQUERING THE OBSTACLES OF MODERN COLLEGE LIFE USING TIMELESS BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES

What’s the secret to surviving college? Staying calm and focused—what a Buddhist would call mindfulness. Whether you feel lost, overwhelmed or depressed, Buddha U teaches the healthy perspective that will keep you on the path to a great college experience.

Divided into 108 straightforward lessons that approach life day by day, Buddhist principle by principle, this book will transform your college life into a well-managed, stress-free experience. As you put them into practice, you will find yourself ending one academic year with immense satisfaction and anticipating the new one with great enthusiasm. 

OFF TO PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN:

And Off You Go to Change the World: A Preschool Graduation/First Day of Kindergarten Gift Book by Ashten Evans (Ulysses Press; $12.95)

The perfect gift for graduates of preschool or kindergarten as they accomplish their first experiences with school and pave the way to a lifetime of learning, this book is a great way to celebrate the special child in your life. With charming illustrations and text to uplift and motivate, And Off You Go to Change the World is a wonderful read for parents and children alike. 

Lego with Dad: Creatively Awesome Brick Projects for Parents and Kids to Build Together by Warren Nash (Rocky Nook, $24.95)

Break out the bricks, it's time for awesome family fun! LEGO® bricks can be an endless source of imagination and joy for kids of all ages, and now dads can join in too! LEGO® With Dad is the ultimate guide to utilizing your bricks to build creative new projects as well as lifelong memories along the way.

No expensive new sets required! With detailed instructions on the basic building techniques as well as more advanced and complex builds, this book is perfect for parents and kids all skill levels.

LEGO® With Dad features step-by-step lessons for fun projects including:

Working train and car

Customized rocket ship

Menagerie of colorful animals

Helicopter with rotating blades

And much, much more!

Whether you and your kids are LEGO® novices or aspiring Master Builders, this book will show you how to explore the world of bricks together to create amazing projects and lasting memories.

 

FOR PARENTS:

A Parent’s Guide to Virtual Learning: How to Help Your Child Thrive in an Online Environment by Dr. Felicia Durden Ed.D. (Ulysses Press, $16.95)

Make kids’ virtual school experience fun and effective with this all-in-one primer designed to help busy parents make the most out of digital platforms, understand teaching strategies, and fully support your child’s education.

Every parent wants to help their child succeed, but it can be difficult when online platforms and teaching methods seem to be constantly changing. Now, A Parent’s Guide to Virtual Learning takes the mystery out of digital education and gives you the tools that you can immediately implement at home, no matter your district, school, or distance learning model.

Written by a fellow parent and experienced educator, Dr. Felicia Durden breaks down how virtual learning works and simple strategies for reinforcing classroom instruction, all with the busy parent in mind. In this book, parents will learn how to:

Create an inspiring at-home workspace

Make the most out of virtual platforms

Understand core topics like math and reading

Set up remote learning pods with other kids

Support various online, hybrid, and distance learning models 

Avoid burnout (for students and parents!)

Adapting to a virtual environment will be challenging and the role that parents play is crucial in student success. This book will be a tool that you will go to again and again to stay prepared and energized each day to help your child reach their learning goals.

No matter what age your kiddos are, these books would make great back to school or back to work gifts this fall! 

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.